Sad Tales Over Sushi
by WiseAbsol
Summary: A collection of short stories about love and loss, grief and hope, and Satoshi and Kasumi as they deal with both. It contains the revised versions of "Bittersweet" and "My Last Breath," and will eventually also include the revised version of "Get Well Soon."
1. Reflections

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Pokémon,_ which belongs to: _Nintendo; the Pokémon Company; Creatures; GAME FREAK; TV Tokyo; ShoPro; Jr. Kikaku; Shogakukan Production Co, Ltd.; Satoshi Tajiri; _and _Ken Sugimori._ These companies and the creators rightfully own the franchise. Please note that I do not write this story to infringe on copyrights or to earn money; this is merely for the entertainment of individuals who share my interests and desire new adventures for the characters they love.

**Summary: **Previously entitled "Bittersweet," this story concerns Kasumi's thoughts on her togepi growing up and her feelings for Satoshi. It's set a few weeks after the events of the anime episodes "The Princess and the Togepi" and "A Togepi Mirage!"

**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort.

**Continuity:** Independent.

**Originally Published:** 06-23-05.

**Total Hits, Favorites, and Alerts:** 1653, 10, 2.

**Dedicated To:** _SarahStarlight217_, a wonderful friend and writer.

* * *

**O:O:O**

**REFLECTIONS**

**O:O:O**

* * *

In the Cerulean City Gym's arena, the youngest of the Cerulean Sisters sat with her feet dangling in the pool. It was well past closing time, and with the trainers gone and her sisters sleeping in their beds, the gym lay quiet around her. Only the occasional splash of water or the snoring of the family dewgong broke the silence. Since she wasn't going swimming herself – and, moreover, because their pokémon needed the rest – all the lights had been turned out, leaving only the moonlight to illuminate the arena. It mixed with the city lights, poured in through the windows, shimmered silver off the waves. But as peaceful as the atmosphere around her was, Kasumi didn't feel soothed. After all that had happened to her in the last month, though, perhaps that wasn't so surprising.

A few weeks ago she'd made a brief trip to Hoenn, meeting up with her old friends after what seemed like years spent apart. Satoshi had been as enthusiastic and determined as ever (he never would give up on his dreams); Takeshi had been as – well, as desperate for womanly affections as ever; and Pikachu had been as energetic and lovable as ever, leaping onto her shoulder to give her a static-charged nuzzle. During the adventure that had followed, she'd made two new friends in the contest-loving Haruka – a sweet girl with a fondness of shopping and noodles - and her younger brother Masato, whose knowledge of pokémon seemed on par with most professional encyclopedias.

The escapade they'd shared had seemed like a trip back in time, back to the years when she'd travelled with Satoshi and Takeshi though Kanto, through the Orange Islands, through Johto. She would have left with good memories made and with a smile on her face…if it wasn't for whom she'd lost along the way. She'd left her home with her togepi, her baby girl, cradled in her arms, and she'd returned with an aching heart. Her togepi had grown up and evolved into a togetic. She'd become the guardian of the Togepi Paradise and the protector of the baby pokémon who lived there. Oh yes, Kasumi was very proud of her "daughter," she was. But after caring for her baby pokémon for years, it had been hard to release her and say goodbye. But Kasumi knew that if you truly loved someone, you had to be willing to let that person go – to let that person pursue her own life and do whatever's best for _her_. At least that's what she told herself every time she found herself missing her little spike ball pokémon.

She hadn't only lost her child, though. Once again, she'd chosen to leave her friends behind. The last time she'd done so, she honestly hadn't had much of a choice – not after her sisters had left the Cerulean Gym without a leader, all so they could go on their world tour. But now her sisters were back and were a bit more mature from their journey (albeit still rather self-absorbed). In theory, she could have stayed with the gang and left the gym to her sisters. After all, they were the legal adults of the family! The responsibility would normally be on their shoulders, at least until she came of age. Of course, exceptions had been made in their case, but even so, she could have _tried_ to negotiate! And she could have _tried_ to tell Satoshi the truth about her feelings for him, rather than leaving him oblivious to them again.

Kasumi should have said something - she knew that! But after years of denial and a rather uncharacteristic case of nerves, taking him aside and telling him…well, even she had her moments of cowardice. She'd always been told that "love makes you stronger" – all of the anime she'd watched and the books she'd read had said so! - but no one had ever bothered to mention the way it tried to gut you first. So now, weeks later, she stewed over the loss of her child and the chances she'd lost. Sleep wouldn't come easy and her appetite was shaky at best. Diving into her work helped keep her focused, but whenever she started to slow down, the question of what might have been – of what she might have done and might have said – dug under her skin and pestered her without end.

Somehow, her sisters hadn't seemed to realize anything was wrong until this morning. They'd mentioned something about the shadows under her eyes and the way her nails were chipping, and had then dragged her into town for a proper makeover and a movie. They'd picked a romantic comedy, of course, which had helped Kasumi feel a _little better…_but only because of the sheer ridiculousness of the plot. The flashy pokémon battles over _every little misunderstanding_ between the characters (seriously, could no one just sit down and talk things out?) had made her grin a time or two. But the actual romance in the story – a love quadrangle that ran on unrequited love – had hit a little too close to home for her. She'd thanked her sisters, of course – they meant well – and they'd actually talked a little about what was going on over dinner. They'd expressed their sympathies, tried to give her some advice (she wasn't sure how sending Satoshi chocolate would help – he'd just see candy, not the underlying meaning to it), and had handed her a tub of ice cream for some comfort-food ("We like, can't eat it because of our diets, but you should totally have some! It really helps!"). In the end, though, she'd needed some alone time, so she'd offered to close up, had spent some time swimming with their pokémon, and now sat in the quiet to just _think._

Her sisters, she knew, would keep trying to help until she was back to her old, feisty self. As much as Kasumi kind of…well, she didn't _hate_ them, but they could be so _annoying and frustrating _sometimes…but she had to admit, it was times like these when she glad they were there. She didn't want to trouble them, really – it was odd for them to be looking out for _her _like this – so if only for their sake, she would try to be more positive. She'd get up tomorrow morning and do her best to be that raucous redhead, that spirited trainer, that formidable Gym Leader who defeated her opponents with her water pokémon and a wicked smile. She'd earned the Cerulean Gym a new lease on life, so no matter how _shaky _she felt right now, she _was _strong, she knew she was!

She could almost hate Satoshi for "doing this to her." Not that he'd really done anything - hence the quotations marks - except worm his way into her heart and invite her on a new adventure. Sure, that new adventure had ended with her daughter growing up and leaving to start her own life. But if it weren't for Satoshi, she technically wouldn't be going through this pain. Mind you, she doubted she would be who she is now without him – he had a way of growing on people and changing them for the better – and she had to admit, she _liked _who she was, no matter the lapses in her courage. Of course, it wasn't as if she couldn't justify those lapses to herself. Satoshi was busy pursuing his dreams and hardly seemed to think about girls in _that way. _He hadn't seemed to think of her as a girl _at all, _honestly. She was just one of his best friends, and it was very rare that he did something or said something that suggested he might maybe, just _maybe_, think about her as more than that.

The day she'd left the group, right after they'd returned from Johto, had been a good example of one of those times. He'd reassured her that they would always be best friends (and they were), had promised they'd see each other again soon (and they'd kept in touch since then – they had!), had accepted her handkerchief (admittedly without probably knowing what it meant), and had honestly seemed torn up about her leaving him (they'd all been a little torn up that day). And there had been other moments between them over the years, hadn't there? The time he'd complimented her on her bathing suit at the beach; the dance they'd shared during the Maiden's Peak Festival; his jealousy over Fiorello, Danny, and Ralph; the way he'd protected her during that thunderstorm and asked for her when he was sick…okay, perhaps things weren't as hopeless as she was making them out to be.

As the corners of her lips quirked upwards and she wiggled her feet in the water, a sinuous shape weaved in the depths of the pool. It swam closer, making the water in front of her churn and heave. A pair of golden eyes gleamed as they looked up at her, and then her gyarados' head emerged from the waves. Perhaps it had sensed her shift in mood or simply wanted to give her company. She wasn't sure, but as she reached out to pet the leviathan, he made a low – if still deafening – roar of approval. Laughing and urging him to be quiet – her sisters wouldn't like their beauty sleep interrupted – she continued to pet his scales.

She remembered when she'd first gotten him: he'd been a magikarp donated by disgruntled trainer, and knowing the potential the little fish had locked inside ("Not all fish can become dragons, you know!"), she'd gone swimming with him every day and showed him the basics of some simple water moves. With some amusement, she remembered how her sisters had shrieked when they'd come home, taken a dip in the pool, and had found themselves swimming alongside a monster who could swallow them whole. When they'd demanded to know why she hadn't warned them, Kasumi had laughed and said she'd wanted to surprise them. He'd evolved while they were out – wasn't it wonderful? Now they had a gyarados on their roster! Their challengers would have a tough time earning their badge now! Well, they hadn't thought it was very funny, but that was their loss. At least Satoshi had had the proper reaction to the new addition to her team. He'd been awed and amazed, if only because being able to handle a gyarados showed just how much she'd grown as a trainer.

Speaking of which, her gyarados thought that giving her a gentle headbutt was an acceptable display of affection. Which it was…for pokémon whose heads weren't bigger than her entire body. As she was bowled over, she laughed and gave the creature a hug, accepting the offered affection. So much for him being one of the most temperamental pokémon in Kanto. Treat a gyarados right, and you might as well be dealing with a huge puppy instead (albeit one with arm-length fangs). He wanted to cheer her up, and just by being there for her, he was managing exactly that.

Barely to be heard over the churning waters, Kasumi sighed and said, "Sorry for being such a downer, big guy. Being apart from the people you love – it just sucks sometimes." She patted him on the snout, nodded for him to return to the pool, and smiled as he went. "But you know…I think I can handle it."

She got up, grabbed her towel, and headed to the locker room. She'd have a long, hot shower, some soup and ice cream, and then head to bed. Maybe she'd sleep in a little too.

She'd feel better in the morning.

* * *

**Thank You:** To _Larka _for betaing this for me. Thank you also to_ Mystical Mystery, dbzgtfan2004, PinkCamellia, Mysterygirl256, Warlordess, sykilik101, SweetStories11, Fl4mingTurd, Destiny-Dragoon, louisadeztini, IDK I dont know, Tomoyo Kinomoto, Shiguya Retomasi, Trinity Flower of Memories, Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus, Shinymonkey8, Anthony1l_, and _turle_ for reviewing the original version of this story. I greatly appreciated it, and since your reviews were already transferred over, you shouldn't feel any obligation to leave a review again.

**Author's Note:** What began as a melodramatic, hopeless piece about unrequited love took a turn for the inspiring upon revision. In fact, it took such a turn for the better that it's not even sad anymore. I honestly didn't mean to rewrite this so thoroughly, but really, does pining away for Satoshi really seem like something Kasumi would do? _Kasumi, _the spitfire of the show? No, I thought not. Also, the behavior of the gyarados was like this originally, but this new take on it was inspired by the gyarados in Kayasuri-n's planned fic "100 Suns." Finally, my headcanon for this is that the sisters all watched a live action version of "School Rumble" with pokémon battles. If the thought of that doesn't cheer you up, nothing will! In any case, don't you worry, folks! You'll get your sad tales in the next couple of stories! Though they will always end on a note of hope, because I have a thing for hope.

Sincerely,

_WiseAbsol_

P.S. – I'm using the Japanese names of the characters for the sake of referencing the title of this collection _and _for the sake of a naming theme later on. You'll see when you get there.


	2. Red

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Pokémon,_ which belongs to: _Nintendo; the Pokémon Company; Creatures; GAME FREAK; TV Tokyo; ShoPro; Jr. Kikaku; Shogakukan Production Co, Ltd.; Satoshi Tajiri; _and _Ken Sugimori._ These companies and the creators rightfully own the franchise. Please note that I do not write this story to infringe on copyrights or to earn money; this is merely for the entertainment of individuals who share my interests and desire new adventures for the characters they love.

**Summary:** After tragedy strikes, Satoshi struggles to cope with the loss of his best friend and first love. The events of the story were based on the song of "My Last Breath" by Evanescence, which was also this story's original name.

**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort.

**Continuity:** Independent.

**Originally Published:** 06-23-05.

**Total Hits, Favorites, and Alerts:** 1451, 20, 1.

**Belonged to Community Archive(s):** _To Be The Very Best_ (03-01-2010) and _Poke vs. Ego_ (01-15-2012).

* * *

**O:O:O**

**RED**

**O:O:O**

* * *

"Watch out!"

Satoshi's shout would ultimately be a futile warning. The car was already skidding towards them, its wheels finding no purchase on the shady ice slick. The teenager tried in vain to peddle faster, to drag Kasumi from her bike and get her out of the way. But even as he pressed down on the pedals, even as he swerved towards her, even as he reached out to grab her arm, the distance between them and the car closed. In an instant, he felt his breath being knocked out of him; felt something in his leg, his arm, his side go _crunch_; felt himself twisting and flying through the air, his bike coming with him and crashing down alongside him. Then came the second impact when they hit the ground, and in the tumble that followed, his head knocked itself on the curb, his skin tore off in patches on the asphalt, and his vision went black.

And then, after a few disoriented and stunned moments, _the pain _washed over him.

He might have screamed if he could have sucked in the breath to _breathe._ Trying to get up and move just made it worse, with his arm throbbing in protest and his leg simply _not working_. It was a struggle, but he managed to open his eyes, blinking back the tears and blood to what had happened. He couldn't push himself up - not if his arm had anything to say about it - but he did manage to see some of the damage. There were holes in his clothes, and the skin underneath looked red with blood and black with grit. His leg was twisted in a stomach-lurching way, and he only just manage to keep the bile down. Through the ringing in his ears, he thought he heard an ambulance coming towards them, its sirens blaring away and flashing red lights flickering at the edge of his vision. He lolled his head, unable to lift it, and saw that the car was now halfway on the sidewalk. There was a man next to it on his hands and knees, red-faced with tears and in the process of upchucking his last meal. There were other people too, shadows with blue lights near their ears. They must have called the ambulance. He lolled his head over to the other side – breathing was coming a little easier – and then he saw the _red. _Red scarf, red hair, red skin, red wetness on her clothes, and for a moment he was confused. Then there was recognition, and some strangled sound rose from his throat as he tried to say her name. _Kasumi!_

In the haze of desperation and fear and pain, memories floated before his eyes: of Kasumi coaching him on his pokémon training, of Kasumi right beside him on his adventures, of the phone calls and the letters they'd shared after she'd taken over the Cerulean Gym. He'd missed her every day in Hoenn and the regions afterwards, and after he'd finally decided to come home and start settling down, Kasumi had been one of the first friends he'd reconnected with. She'd given him all sorts of advice on what to do _next, _on how to use his talents around Kanto and make the most of the connections he'd made. And somehow, in the process of getting his life on track, he'd found himself getting closer to his first female friend. They'd both mellowed out over the years, and after countless nights crashing at her gym, countless take-out meals they'd had on the road, and countless moments they'd shared between his odd jobs…well, it had surprised no one else when the sparks had formed. Takeshi had ever joked about the _electricity _between them, but no matter how groan-worthy everyone else's jibs had been, he and Kasumi had been happy. Outside of her battles, he didn't think he'd ever seen Kasumi so full of _life _before. That he'd been the cause of that had, of course, led to many more jokes, most of them aimed at getting the smug look off his face. Even Kasumi had rolled her eyes, kissed him on the cheek, and told him not to let it get to his head….

So it horrified him to no end to see Kasumi like this. Blood was matting her hair and trickling down her face, and her body had been twisted in a horrible way. Numbness – maybe from the endorphins kicking in, or maybe just from his horror – started seeping through him. He dragged his hand towards her, grabbing one of hers and rasping out, "Kasumi? Kasumi…please…Kasumi, wake up. _Wake up_."

Her blue-green eyes stared at him, unseeing…and then they blinked, cleared, and he saw her mouth move. He thought he heard her say his name.

Relief poured through him, warm and sweet as a cup of hot cocoa. "Oh god…thank god!" The words came out as a sob. Breathing and speaking were coming easier to him now. "Don't worry, Kasumi. The ambulance will be here soon. We're going to be fine."

"I...," she gulped, her brow furrowing and her gaze glazing over slightly. "I think…I think I'm okay, Satoshi. I just feel cold, that's all," she rasped, shivering.

From what Satoshi knew about traumatic injuries – and he'd learned a lot about them during his travels – he knew _that _was a bad sign. He clutched her hand hard, tried to smile through his tears, and wished he could get up and give her the clothes off his back. All of them, it didn't matter, so long as she stayed warm. But he could barely lift his head, so he held onto her, whispering for her to keep talking with him and _hold on._ "We've got a big match Monday, remember? We've got to show those kids what real masters can do. Come on, Kasumi, stay with me."

She smiled at him weakly. "This…this wasn't how I meant our adventure to turn out."

He tried to scoot closer to her, even though his leg _screamed _at him to _stop moving._ "That's…that's okay!" His voice hitched as the bones in his arm grinded together. "We'll have more. I promise."

"...You…you know I love you, right? I don't say it a lot, but…," her breaths were coming harder now, quaking as she gasped them in.

His tears made his vision swim. "Yeah…of course I know. I love you too."

She grinned, squeezed his hand in hers, and let her eyes fall shut with a sigh.

Footsteps raced towards them, and suddenly there was movement next to his face. People were undoing their hands and he thought _no, don't, Kasumi, she needs…!_ But she needed their help, not his hand. There was the sound of metal scraping along concrete, then the world shifted (_the sky is a pretty shade of blue) _and swayed. He was carried into a van, and there were flashes of people in blue working over him, the sirens and their shouts loud in his ears, and he glimpsed red and thought, _Kasumi, be okay, please be okay, Kasumi. _And then the world went dark.

When he woke up the next day, the first thing they told him was that he'd be okay. His bones might ache whenever the weather was bad, but once he healed, he'd be able to walk and use his arm again. He'd be okay, they'd told him. He'd be okay.

Then he asked them how Kasumi was doing. And when they told him the news, he realized, with a sudden and bone-chilling rage, that they were a pack of liars.

Without her, he wasn't going to be okay.

* * *

Four months later, when Satoshi was able to walk again without crutches, he headed into the woods north of Cerulean City. His shoes were soon soaked through from the slush, his hands were frozen around the bouquet he was carrying, and the wind, while warm for early spring, was still bitter against his cheeks and ears. The forest was hushed around him, the quiet only breaking at the occasional thud of snow hitting the ground, the crackle of ice breaking under his feet, and the call of a whooper swan from across the river. He lifted his head from the bundle of roses and rosemary, his breath steaming from his mouth as he sighed. The sky was clear and sunny, making the melting snow and ice sparkle around him. Kasumi had loved the winter, strangely enough, even though he would have always pegged her for a summer lover. Summer was perfect for beach trips and swimming, but summer was also perfect for swarms of bugs - and when your family owned a massive, indoor pool, the bugs had made all the difference.

Kasumi had told him that the last time he'd been on these trails. The snow had been falling around them in big, fluffy flakes, and he'd huddled in his coat, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his nose and ears stinging from the cold. They'd come to a frozen lake – which was pretty common in these parts – and Kasumi had tested the ice, making sure it wouldn't shatter beneath their weight. When she was certain it was safe, she'd leaped onto it, sliding with her shoes and spinning around to face him. He'd tried the same…and had ended up face-planting in the ice, cutting his lip in the process. She'd helped him up and given him a handkerchief, which he'd pressed to his mouth and hoped would help. It seemed to, and in the following minutes, he'd watched with surprise as Kasumi started to skates around the pond, doing little spins and jumps that should have, by all rights, landed her on her ass. But she was _good _at ice-skating, and when he'd asked her how she'd learned, she'd given him a smile – a slightly sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.

_"My mother taught me before she died. She specialized in ice pokémon, so every winter she'd take us up here to go skating. My sisters were never really good at it – they took after our dad more, helping him with all his sea-life shows. That's probably where they got a taste for fame," _she'd told him with a roll of her eyes.

Kasumi and her sisters had never really talked about their parents. Takeshi's mother and father had abandoned their children, and his own dad had left to continue his pokémon journey when Satoshi turned five. He'd figured Kasumi's parents had done the same, but he supposed even Takeshi's parents and his dad visited from time to time. Kasumi's never had. He should have figured they were gone or at least _asked._

So after nine years as her friend, he'd asked. A wistful look had crossed her face, before she'd sighed and told him they'd died in a boating accident. "_They were out in the cape, trying to free a few lapras that'd gotten caught in some fishing nets. It was autumn, so storms come in fast and…well, there are a lot of rocks out there and some strong undertows. They went down and didn't come back up."_

Her high spirits had seemed to fade at this explanation. Seeing that, he'd give her a one-armed hug and said, _"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked-."_

She'd shaken her head and leaned against his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck and chin. _"It's okay. I don't mind. Those were good times, and I can remember them that way now."_

Together they'd watched the snowfall, and over the next several hours, she'd tried to teach him how to skate. Between bruising his backside and grabbing her around the waist, he'd updated her on Shigeru's studies, she'd told him about Kenji's last book signing, he'd filled her in on how Haruka and Masato were doing, she'd asked him what he was planning to bring to Natsume's wedding, and they'd _both _tried to figure out _what in the world _was going on between Takeshi and Erika. By the end of it, their feet had gone numb and their stomachs had been howling, so they'd decided to start heading back into town. Along the way, Satoshi had suggested different ways for them to warm up (he was nineteen, so sue him), and in response, Kasumi had smirked and slapped him on the shoulder. "_You're it, then."_ And what had followed had been a chase through the trees, with them darting closer and closer to the warmth of the city. Of course, she knew the terrain better than he did, so he'd lost her eventually. Not having his pokémon with to help him find her certainly hadn't helped.

_"You give up?"_ she'd called, her voice floating from between the trees.

Well, it hadn't been a pokémon battle, so honestly, he hadn't felt much shame in giving up. "Much" being the key word there; he was Satoshi Wakahisa, the champion of the latest Indigo League circuit, so losing a child's game was something of a bitter broth to him. But after a minute more of searching in vain, he'd sighed and told her she'd won.

She'd _emerged from the side of a tree_ with a grin. He'd gaped and walked towards her, and then groaned when he saw the hollowed out trunk. If it hadn't been getting dark, he probably would have seen it, but…nope, he'd missed it entirely. "_I'm going blind. All that squinting at Shigeru's essays – I blame for this."_

She'd laughed. "_You can't blame your rival for everything, Satoshi."_

"_Why not? It's always made me feel better before!"_

Her response had been to snort and push him into a pile of snow.

Blinking up at her and feeling the cold trickle down his shirt, he'd cursed, tried to get back up, but only succeeded in sinking further into the snow. He'd reach out a hand and said, _"You know I love you, right?"_ Which was code for, _I'm sorry, please help me out, sweetie._

Kasumi had given him a long-suffering look, smiled to soften it, and helped him up. "_Of course you do. I love you too, Satoshi."_

It had been about a month later, during one of those week-long false springs, when she'd kicked him out of bed early to go out bike riding. She'd already hit the shower and gotten dressed in sweatpants, a hooded sweatshirt, and what looked like some very fluffy socks. She'd pushed a cup of coffee at his face. "_Up and at 'em, Mr. Pokémon Master. The weather is gorgeous. We're going out to enjoy it! Up, up, up!" _

_"Seriously, Kasumi? It's the middle of winter,"_ he'd groaned, trying to cover his head with the blankets. "_Besides, I don't have a bike, you crazy woman."_

She'd tugged the blanket back down and pointed to the coffee. The smell of it, admittedly, was making him _want _to wake up. The caffeine would doubtlessly do the rest. _"I've rented you one for the day. Besides, I need get some last-minute Christmas gifts, and I'm pretty sure you do too."_

Satoshi had sighed (she'd been right about that), had shoved off the covers, and had taken a gulp of the coffee. He'd burned his tongue, but the sooner the caffeine and sugar was in his system, the better. "_Fine, fine, I'm moving. I'll be down in ten minutes."_

She'd given him a grateful kiss on the forehead, then left so he could hit the shower and get dressed. They'd each grabbed a bagel and munched on them as they headed outside, leaving her sisters a note that they'd be back in a few hours. Admittedly, the warm weather had melted the snow and ice off the roads (except in those shady patches, which somehow managed to maintain the stuff until late spring), so it probably wasn't as risky as he'd initially thought. Unlocking her yellow bike, she'd gestured for him to take the red one, and they'd started out slow and carefully. At the early hours, the roads were quiet, and they typically heard the slush splashing onto the curb, or salt being crunched under a set of wheels, before a vehicle passed them by. Maybe forty minutes into the ride, when their muscles were warmed up and the cool breeze became a blessing, Kasumi glanced at her watch and cursed. "_We need to pick up the pace,"_ she'd called out. "_The sale at the Silph Store starts in half an hour, and at this rate, we're going to be at the end of the line."_

He'd nodded, not thinking anything of it. They'd begun pedaling faster, taking a little bit less time at each intersection to check both ways.

Five minutes later, they'd started crossing yet another street, certain the car coming down the lane would slow down for the sign. And in the driver's defense, he'd tried. He'd gotten off his cell phone and pressed down on the brakes, perhaps a little harder than he should have…but none of them had counted on that patch of shaded ice.

By the time the driver blared the horn and Satoshi had shouted a warning, it had been too late to avoid the collision.

What had started off as a perfectly normal day in their lives had become the end of hers. The funeral, which he'd attended in a haze of physical and emotional pain, his mother's hand clutching his and his friends all around him, had been well attended. There had been somewhere around a hundred attendees, though more had needed to be turned away; they'd made so many friends during their travels, after all, and there had been only so much room in the temple. Kasumi's sisters had collected the condolence money with grateful looks, he remembered, and the room they'd held the vigil had smelled strongly of incense and white chrysanthemums. The priest had said the prayers they'd requested, while the guests had shared stories of their experiences with her. There'd been a lot of crying, but what Satoshi remembered most was everyone trying to make him eat something. While Kasumi was being cremated, they'd been urging him to eat. In the end he'd accepted a few bites to eat, though the food hadn't tasted like anything. Pikachu had stayed curled in his lap the entire time, and the warmth of his starter against his stomach had helped, slightly. It was only after all of that, after Kasumi's bones had been interred in her family shrine, and after a small urn of her ashes had been pressed into his hands, that the driver had come up to him.

_"I'm so, so sorry. I know there's no way I can make this right, but…it there's anything I can do, anything at all, please just let me know."_

He'd bowed to them, pressing his forehead to the floor, and the others had told him to get up. No one said it was okay – how could they? – but it had been an accident. The driver, Kasumi, Satoshi – they were all to blame for what had happened, but then again, none of them were to blame. It had been that damnable patch of ice and a coincidence – in the end, that was all it had taken to end a life. Satoshi, for his part, had given the man the cold shoulder, wanting with his heart to blame him, but knowing with his mind that it wouldn't be fair. He'd seen the man's horror and regret at what had happened, so he knew he should be more forgiving…but right then, he needed to be angry at someone, and blaming the driver (Souta, his name had been Souta) was easier than blaming Kasumi or himself (though he did that too sometimes). He would later apologize, of course, but that would take him awhile longer. During the funeral, he'd been too much of a mess, a hair away from raging at everyone and everything around him. He'd come close to pounding on Kasumi's casket, bewildered at how such a headstrong, stubborn girl like her could have _died_. He'd always imagined she'd go down fighting or peacefully in her sleep – not from something as common as a car accident. She'd been so strong, so young, so _alive…_and now she _wasn't._

He didn't remember if he'd cried at the funeral. He'd cried before and after it, he knew, but he'd been so numb during it that…well, months later, he didn't know if he had. Even now, as he stomped through the snow and clutched the flowers to his chest, the purple and pale pink petals tickling his neck, it was hard to accept that Kasumi was gone. They'd cheated death so many times before that it just…it seemed so unbelievable. It might even be funny in an ironic sort of way, in about ten or fifteen years or so.

As he came to cemetery and stepped down the rows, he weaved his way to the Koizumi family shrine. The mausoleum was engraved with mythical sea monsters, with the guardian of the sea – lugia, he now recognized – watching over the graves with stone eyes. He found Kasumi's name carved below that of her parents, her years of birth and death (1987-2006) carved next to her name. He traced the letters and set the bouquet below them. His throat tightening and his eyes filling with tears, he took out the incense holder, put a fresh stick in, and lit it with the lighter Shigeru had given him. As a tendril of smoke weaved up and stung in his nose, he sniffed and tried to steady his breathing.

It took awhile, but eventually he managed to gasp out, "Hey Kasumi." He suddenly found himself blanking on what else to say. He'd thought of a thousand things he would have liked to say to her if he'd had the chance, but now that he was here, they were slipping away from him. He was very aware that he was in _the family shrine, _so really, her parents could probably hear him too. Eventually he settled on, "As you can see, I've got the casts off. I guess you'll be glad to know I'm healing up. I brought flowers – they aren't water-flowers, but it's still winter, so what can you do? I hope you like them. Erika told me that rosemary stands for remembrance and pink roses celebrate youth, so I just thought…well, I wanted you to know I'm thinking of you. I…I really miss you. We all miss you, of course, but I really…," his voice choked, and he had to suck in a deep breath to steady himself. "Sometimes it's hard to get up in the mornings. Pikachu helps, of course – he sends his love, by the way – and I'm trying to focus on work. I'm thinking about becoming an emergency responder."

He could almost see her lifting an eyebrow at him. "Not a doctor, I can't do that. But I mean, I'd be one of those people who go to help people after floods and stuff. After some of the crazy things I've been through, I think I'd be good at it. You told me once I'm good at helping people, so that's what I want to do. Yeah…," he trailed off. He sat back, "What do you think? Any spooky signs you can send me from…wherever you've ended up? Because that would…that would help."

A few minutes passed and, of course, nothing happened. He barked a laugh at that – what had he been expecting? – and got up with a grimace, putting out the incense in a puddle of snowmelt. Tucking the holder back into his jacket, he turned to the entrance of the shrine and stopped just as quickly. There'd been a flash of movement at the foot of the portal, and slowly, quietly, he edged himself forward and stuck his head outside. Shivering next to the shrine was a rather scrawny vaporeon, who edged away from him when he crouched down next to it. He held his hand out to it – not, to her, only female vaporeon had that black coloration on the backs of their ears. She sniffed his fingers and gave them a tiny lick, and when he picked her up and cradled her in his arms, she didn't struggle away.

She had to have belonged to a trainer at some point – he didn't see how she else could have encountered a water stone, if not (they'd been pretty heavily mined by humans, so finding them in nature now was difficult at best). It had probably been awhile since she'd had an owner, though. She didn't look as if she'd eaten well for awhile, and noting that she was still shivering, he opened his coat and wrapped her in it, letting her poke her head out of the top. It was very much like pressing a block of ice to his chest, but that was fine, he'd warm himself – and by extension, her – up on the walk back into town. The mermaid fox seemed grateful for his warmth, at any rate; she curled up against him with a soft mewl, burrowing her nose into his collarbone. The edges of fins grated against his skin, but that was fine – he'd suffered worse from his own pokémon in the past, so a few scratches were nothing. Nah, he'd bring her to the gym and see if Kasumi's sisters would take her in. There was always Masaki too; he loved the members of the eevee family. _You see, Kasumi? _he thought to himself, smiling slightly, _Look at me, already helping someone out._

He made his way back to the gym, introducing everyone to the new addition. Sakura, Botan, and Ayame cooed over the stray, giving her a bowl of fish bits and wiping her scales down with replenishing oil. They said they'd be fine with taking her in – what was one more pokémon in a gym filled with water-types, right? Glad that finding the vaporeon a home had been so easy (_I know the future won't be, Kasumi. I know. But it's a good first step, right?)_, he'd taken a long bath to warm up, gobbled down some dinner, and headed up to bed. Pikachu, who was cuddling with Kasumi's marill at the foot of the bed, leaped into his arms when he came in.

"Pika?" he chirped, a note of concern in his voice.

Satoshi sighed and hugged his starter. "I'll be okay. It's just…it's been a long day. I need to get some sleep."_ There's a lot I need to start doing tomorrow. A whole lot…._

Just as he was burrowing himself under the covers, there came a scratching sound at the door. He ignored it for a moment, but as the pitiful-sounding mewling followed, he sighed and got up to open the door. The vaporeon crept in, not looking much better for the meal and coat of oil. She looked up at him with wide, dark eyes, and chirped as if to ask if she could stay with him.

He nodded, scooped her up, and let her introduce herself to the others. As he drifted off to sleep, he vaguely became aware of the critter curling up against the small of his back. Pikachu and Kasumi's marill, in contrast, sprawled themselves out at the foot of the bed. As he sank into his dreams, the memories of the past day floated in his mind, shifting in form and in color. In the middle of the woods, the whites and grays and blues melted into greens and yellows, and there was red again – this time, there was a fiery red. It was the red of life, of passion, of love. It was the red of beginnings, not the red of endings.

Kasumi, bright-eyed and whole and _healed, _stood beside the pond. There was a pink rose stuck into her ponytail and a print of rosemary flowers on her shirt. He remembered then what Professor Okido had told him six months ago: _the ones we love are only truly dead when we've forgotten them. Never before. _And when he went to her, hugging her and crying into her hair how happy he was to see her, she'd hugged him back and said the same. In the timelessness of dreams, they talked about what was going on in his life, what was going on with others, whatever he could think to talk about (she wouldn't talk about her death, except to say she was fine and well and not in any pain). And when he'd asked her if he was making the right choice, Kasumi had rolled her eyes, given him a long-suffering look, and softened it with a kiss. "Of course you are. Now get back out there and make your new dream come true."

He'd wanted her to be a part of that dream but…well, they both already knew that, didn't they? He smiled, wiped away his tears, and felt – distantly yet distinctly – the sensation of movement against his feet, against the small of his back. He'd be waking up soon, try as he might to stave the new day off (_couldn't he have five more minutes here with her?)_. Grabbing her into one more hug, he whispered, "I'll say goodbye for now, Kasumi. But it won't be forever, okay?"

And as the dream faded, taking her along with it, he felt her lips on his forehead and heard her voice in his ears. "Because we'll see each other again someday, won't we?"

He smiled. "Yeah. We will. I know we will!"

When he rolled out of bed, he went through his morning routine and started making the necessary phone calls. After he'd made his arrangements with Matis, he packed his bags and checked the Houndoom Bus times for the next one bound for Vermillion City. He thanked the Koizumi sisters for their hospitality and, upon realizing the vaporeon was determined to follow him, he sheepishly asked if he could take her as well. They'd waved his embarrassment away, added a few more cans of pokéchow to his pack, and called after him to take care.

A week later, he named his vaporeon Satomi.

* * *

**Thank You:** To _Larka _for betaing this for me. Thank you also to _Mystical Mystery, dbzgtfan2004, GimmeMoreMANGA, PinkCamellia, RiptideDragon, Injection Fairy Lily, anon, pikagirl, Soft Flame Matthias, Delcatty, RufusLilium, Sword of Light, Clichexx, SithSlayer, Fl4mingTurd, Destiny-Dragoon, Aqua059, Shiguya Retomasi, Tomoyo Kinomoto, Kat, Queesting, Charliebunny07, hooked-on-degrassi, Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus, lovinlife123, KeytoDestiny, Shinymonkey8_, _Anthony1l,_ and _Guest_ for reviewing the original version of this story. I greatly appreciated it, and since your reviews were already transferred over, you shouldn't feel any obligation to leave a review again.

**Author's Note:** The black ears is a reference to a game coloration error. Vaporeon have no gender differences, but since that was inconvenient for my purposes, I made an adjustment here. "Satomi" is also derived from Satoshi's and Kasumi's names, and will be used again later in this collection. I'm not sure I have much else to say about this piece, other than that it, like "Reflections," changed greatly during the rewrite: without the song lyrics in here, the format is much easier to read, and the story also underwent a change in tone, becoming less melodramatic and more realistic in the retelling. The ending was also more hopeful, which will be a theme in these updated pieces.

In any case, I hope you all enjoyed "Reflections." I'm not certain when the updated version of "Get Well Soon" will be released, but when it's added here, this collection will be considered complete. Until next time!

Sincerely,

_WiseAbsol_


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